


Facing the music

by LadyEkaterina



Series: Friendship [2]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Family, Friendship, M/M, One Shot, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 13:30:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19319167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyEkaterina/pseuds/LadyEkaterina
Summary: Trevor has been to see Mickey (A visit) and now he has to explain to Ian why. He speaks to Lip who gives him a potted Gallavich history.





	Facing the music

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted Trevor and therefore an outsider to understand some of what Mickey and Ian have endured during their on and off again relationship. Also he's a good ally to have for them - He has contacts in the counselling world and the post prison world so could be very helpful.....

“You did WHAT?” Ian was opening Trevor a beer and very nearly dropped it.  
“I went to Beckman to visit Mickey.” Trevor had decided the only way to do this was calmly and honestly but also, because he knew Ian, from behind the table.  
“Why? When? How? Why? HOW?”  
Trevor stayed behind the table.  
“Are you going to give me that beer? And listen calmly to what I have to say”  
Ian handed the beer over. “I can’t promise but I’ll do my best.” he said shortly.  
“OK: How? I wrote to him and asked him. I told him I was a friend of yours.”  
“He knows who you are” interrupted Ian.  
“I asked him and he agreed.”  
“Ok...”  
“When? Well I sent the letter about a week after you came to see me. And I visited yesterday.“  
“OK and now the biggie WHY?”  
Trevor ran a hand through his hair, looked at the livid face of Ian and took a large drink from the bottle.  
“BECAUSE I FELT GUILTY OK!” He shouted. He took a deep breath and sat down.  
"You're my friend and I care about you. Ian, for chrissake you went to prison!"  
Trevor rubbed his face and pushed his black hair out of his eyes.  
“And now you’re back with Mickey. And I was afraid for you.”  
Ian’s eyebrows knitted.  
“Were you?” His voice was flat and angry.  
“Yes. Just listen OK? I was really confused. I didn’t know what to think. Will you listen?"  
"I'm listening." Ian sat down opposite Trevor at the table. Talk"  
"Right. I went to see Lip.”  
“Lip?” Ian was shocked. “Why?”  
“I didn’t know who else to ask.”  
“Ask what?”  
“About Mickey. About you.”  
“Oh.” He had wondered why Lip had been avoiding him.  
"OK What did Lip have to say?"  
Trevor thought back.

“Hi Trevor. Did not expect to see you.”  
“Yeah. Hi Lip. Um. Can I talk to you about something”  
“Yeah sure. What?  
“Mikhailo Milkovich.“  
“Mickey? Why?”  
“Did Ian tell you about what Mickey is supposed to have done?”  
“The sacrifice? Yeah. He told me.”  
“Do you believe it?”  
Lip put down his spanner and looked properly at Trevor.  
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I? A guard or something told Ian, you know.”  
“So you don’t you think it’s a story Mickey put about?”  
“Ohhhh is that what you think? No. Definitely not.”  
“That’s pretty definite.”  
Lip scratched his head. “Come on. I need a smoke.”  
Lip poured them both a cup of coffee and they went outside. Lip lit up and took a deep drag.  
“Look trust me on this. I’m no Mickey Milkovich fan, but there is no way he would want Ian to know that he’d done anything just for him. He wouldn't want Ian to feel obligated.”  
“Really.”  
“Oh yeah. “  
Lip took another drag and a gulp of coffee whilst he looked at Trevor, seemingly deciding what to do. Trevor was a good guy, he knew. He was trying to do the right thing. Lip took a deep breath.

“You’ve spoken to Ian. I’m sure you've noticed he’s not totally rational when it comes to Mickey.”  
Trevor snorted his agreement. "You don't say."  
“Here’s the thing. That goes double for Mickey about Ian. Possibly more.“  
Now Trevor’s eyebrows were up.  
“There’s a connection. Something unbreakable. They’ve been through some shit together, but it's more than that. When they were young they could only communicate with their hands. Either fighting or fucking. They seem to have learned to talk now though. And it's made their bond stronger than ever.”  
“We’ve all been through shit, Lip” countered Trevor.  
Lip sighed. “I don’t know the half of it. Maybe a third?”  
Lip lit another cigarette. He didn't look at Trevor as he recounted what he knew. Or had heard about from people like Kev. About Mickeys wedding and Ian disappearing. About himself and Debbie finding Ian off his face on something (or manic he now conceded. Likely both) in some lap dance club in Boys Town. Of telling Mickey’s sister in the hope Mickey would go get him after Ian had refused to come home. Which Mickey did. He told Trevor of the nights Mickey slept on the floor next to Ian just to be close to him, of Mickey's son Yev's christening and Mickey coming out to his wife, his father, his family and friends, just to stop Ian leaving and the beating they both took that night. Trevor looked shocked at that. He’d seen homophobia before, of course he had. But this level of violence was something else.  
Lip told Trevor about Ian’s depression and how Mickey took care of him until Ian’s behaviour became dangerous to himself and others including Mickeys son, and how he'd got Ian to finally go into a hospital. How he was trying to get Ian to take his meds until....  
“You know Mickey went to prison because of Ian?”  
“I'd heard.“ Trevor’s voice still held some bitterness.  
“Not this time.” Lip said. “Why he was there in the first place. He was convicted of trying to kill our half sister. Trust me she deserved that and more. But Mickey went after her because she called the military police on Ian and that fucked Ian up badly. He went off his meds again after running off with our mother.”  
Lip shook his head.  
“Mickey didn’t deserve to go down for that.“  
Trevor was staring open mouthed at Lip who laughed humorlessly.  
“Gallaghers”  
“As advertised.” replied Trevor.  
“Like I said, that’s not even the half of it. There’s some stuff I sort of know but." Lip shook his head. "Not my story to tell, man. Bad stuff. That wasn’t the first beating the two took. And I think there’s worse stuff even I don’t know. And most of this was when they were just kids.”  
Now it was Trevor's turn to stare at the ground  
“I didn’t know.”  
“No.”  
“I just want to be sure Ian’s going to be OK. That he won't get hurt.”  
“Look.” Lip threw away his cigarette end. “You want to know about Mickey, you got two choices. Ask Ian or find away to get to Beckman and ask Mickey. “  
Lip smiled tightly.  
“I gotta go back to work. Good luck.”  
“Yeah. Thanks Lip.”

Trevor looked at Ian “He suggested I go see Mickey.”  
“And you went.”  
“I went”  
“ And what did you find out?”  
“He was mad that someone had told you about him giving up his freedom.”  
Ian looked worried “You told him?”  
“Er yeah. He was worried you might feel like you owed him and he really didn’t want that”  
“I don’t think that.”  
“No. I guess I found out he feels the same way about you that you feel about him. And I suppose I also found out he isn’t the monster I thought he was.”  
“I’m impressed.”  
“Yeah, don’t get excited. We’re not friends”  
Ian smiled “You going again?”  
Trevor thought about what Lip had said.  
“Maybe.”  
“Will you tell me if you go?”  
“Yeah.”  
“OK thanks, Trevor”  
“Yeah yeah. You found a job yet?”  
“Actually yeah I have. Same place I used to work - Patsy’s cafe.”  
“Cool. If you need some extra cash, they’re looking for help at the library. I can get you an intro.”  
“I need all the cash I can get. My share here is just about manageable” Ian waved an arm about.  
“But I’ll need savings if Mickey and I are ever going to get a place of our own."  
Trevor smiled sadly.  
"Yeah, I guess you will"


End file.
